Enemy Exposure

by Meghan Rogers

“Copy,” I said as the light next to the card reader on the elevator flashed green. I pushed the button for the tenth floor.

  “Once the doors open, there’s a supply closet immediately to your right,” Walter said. “You can pick up the ducts there.”

  I passed a few researchers as I stepped off the elevator. They looked at me curiously, but I smiled at them and it seemed to calm any fears they may have had. The hallway was quiet otherwise, making it easy for me to duck into the supply closet. The vent was high, and narrower than I was used to. Luckily I could still fit through. I followed the tablet map until I found myself above Fiser’s office. “I’m ready to land,” I said into the comms. “Scorpion, are we still all clear?”

  “Copy, Raven,” Travis said. “You’re good to go.”

  I made quick work of opening the vent, which was hinged at the bottom, and dropping into the room. I landed right next to the desk. It was a small, square, congested space. Lining the other three walls were shelves with books crammed in and stacked in every direction. The desk itself was covered with papers and even more books to the point that I had to dig to find the keyboard.

  I plugged my tablet into the computer and pushed in my comm. “Command, I need you to crack his password.” A few seconds later, the screen flickered and I was in. First, I checked to make sure he wasn’t currently recording his office—he wasn’t. Then I quickly located his notes folder and found all of the audio notes he had recorded during the past year. I scanned the end of the list, easily locating the date we needed. I plugged the flashdrive in and started the copy.

  Since it was an audio file, it took longer than I would have liked. I had about a minute left on the transfer when I heard Travis’s voice in my head—but he wasn’t talking to me. “I’m waiting on him, actually,” Travis said. “Is he in his office? I was told he would still be at lunch.”

  “He is,” a male voice said. “This is a routine security sweep.”

  “Stall him,” I hissed into my comm. If I took the flashdrive out now, it would interrupt the transfer. We wouldn’t have enough time to start all over and get the copy before Fiser returned. Travis kept talking but I was running out of time. I quickly turned off the monitor and covered the keyboard with papers but left the flashdrive plugged in so the transfer continued. I hoisted myself back into the vent and pulled the grate closed, just barely getting it in place before the door opened. The room looked exactly as it should, save for the blinking flashdrive.

  I slid deeper into the vent to stay out of sight, which also meant I couldn’t see the guard myself. I could hear his footsteps around the perimeter—or at least as close to the perimeter as he could get. He lingered in the office for another ten seconds before I heard the door shut. I edged closer to the vent, still not daring to jump out until I heard from Travis. But I could see the drive. The light blinked for another three seconds before going dark. The transfer had finished.

  “He’s gone,” Travis said. “But Fiser’s back from lunch, and he’s headed my way.”

  “I’m wrapping up,” I said, dropping out of the vent for the second time. I grabbed the flashdrive swiftly, then turned on the monitor, locked his computer, and checked to make sure everything was where I’d found it. I was locking the vent back in place when I heard Travis talking to Fiser, doing his best to keep him in the hall until I was out of the way. I made it to the elevator as Travis started to lose him.

  “I’m clear,” I said to Travis. “I’ll see you at the extraction.”

  Travis started bumbling his excuses to Fiser, apologizing, saying he must’ve gotten his times mixed up and would reschedule. He needed to ditch Fiser and sign out at the front desk to avoid raising any red flags. I beat him to the garage easily.

  We were almost out. I had made it halfway to the car when everything changed.

  I heard movement behind me only a millisecond before the gun pressed against the base of my skull.

  I froze. I felt a hand on my holster, removing my gun and tossing it aside. The clatter echoed through the confined garage, but there wasn’t any indication that anyone had heard a sound. It was Centipede. There was no one else it could be. I knew Travis was already on his way. I’d just have to hold her off until he got here.

  “You can’t kill me,” I said, keeping my voice even. “So why don’t you put that thing away?” I turned around slowly. Centipede didn’t stop me, but she didn’t lower the weapon either. Her lips twisted into a condescending smirk, and I had a hard time not punching her for that alone.

  “Who said there were bullets in this gun?” she asked. My heart picked up a beat, but I didn’t dare give her the satisfaction of asking a question. She provided the answer anyway. “Darts.” She tilted her head to the side and I could see she was holding something back. “Full of Gerex.”

  I went stony. Something in my face must have betrayed me because her smile got even more twisted.

  “I heard you’re off of it now,” she said. “Is that true?” Again I didn’t answer. I was shocked that she knew. I breathed through my nose, trying to stay calm. I had to focus on why I came here—though that was awfully hard to do with a gun full of Gerex in my face. “You probably don’t want this, then.” She was wrong. I did want it. I just knew better.

  “If you shoot that, you won’t walk out of here,” I said. It was the only thing I could think to say. The only thing I thought would matter to her. Once I got that drug in my system, she wouldn’t stand a chance against me. I didn’t want to kill her, but I would to save myself from them. Her face hardened and she took a step forward. I needed to feel her out before I gave too much away. “What if I told you there was a way you could get off of it too. Would you be interested?” I watched her face intently, trying to gauge her reaction. Her eyes widened barely even a fraction, but I caught it. I’d surprised her.

  She recovered quickly, narrowing her face and squashing any hint of curiosity I’d stirred. “You have nothing to offer me.”

  She pulled the trigger, and if I hadn’t been KATO-trained I would never have gotten out of the way. I crashed into the ground, feeling the relief and disappointment of dodging the dart. I swung a leg in the air, kicking the gun just hard enough to knock it out of her hand, while also preventing it from traveling too far. I wanted it for myself. The gun fell in between us, but Centipede charged at me instead of going for the weapon. I spun away from her, giving myself an extra beat to find my feet. I had learned last time that I couldn’t beat her in a fight—not without the Gerex. However, half the reason she came so close to defeating me before was because she knew me as well as I knew her. She knew what to expect. To beat her this time, I’d have to fight my instincts. If they said kick, I threw a punch. If they said to block, I ducked, avoiding her attack completely. It turned out to be surprisingly effective. I had her off-balance within a couple of punches. A quick sweeping kick to her legs took her down.

  I spun away, grabbing the Gerex gun and pointing it at her. Instead of inciting fear, as a normal gun would have, I saw the excitement dancing in her eyes. It occurred to me this might have been crueler than holding an actual gun. I was dangling what I was sure was a powerful dose of Gerex right in front of her face and refusing to pull the trigger.

  She stared up at me, wide-eyed and desperate. I felt my hand start to shake with a craving and I shoved it aside. Instead, I put all of my energy into talking with a steady voice. “I can offer you an out.”

  Now she laughed. “I’m the one hunting you.”

  “And yet, look who’s holding the gun.” I tried not to think about exactly what I was holding and instead focused on the power it gave me. I tipped my head to the side. “I’ve always been better than you. So why don’t you try shutting your mouth and listening to what I have to say.”

  She glowered at me but for a change stayed silent.

  “We have intel,” I said. “Intel that would affect you and every other agen
t in KATO. I promise you, you will care about it.”

  Her eyes flashed and I saw the anger building. “These are lies.”

  “They’re not.” My voice was firm and in control. I had her gun and I had her attention, which meant I had the upper hand. “Now that my cover is blown, we need someone on the inside. You have access to headquarters. If you help me, I can help you.”

  “I will never help a traitor like you.” There was poison in her voice.

  The elevator dinged behind me before I could answer. I dared to glance back, praying it wouldn’t be a civilian.

  It was Travis. His stance stiffened the instant he saw me with a gun in my hand. A car was blocking Centipede from his line of sight, but he drew his weapon instinctively. Travis walked slowly around the car and he didn’t even blink when he saw who was standing in front of me. “You good here?” he asked.

  “Yeah,” I said. “So far.”

  He nodded evenly, but didn’t lower his gun.

  I turned back to Centipede, and Travis stepped behind me, prepared to shoot if he had to.

  “What’s wrong?” Centipede asked, smirking. “You can’t take care of yourself anymore?”

  I bit my tongue, refusing to take her bait. “I’m offering you the chance to escape.”

  “And why would I leave the greatest country in the world for you?” She was referring to North Korea. One thing I’d learned quickly inside KATO was that they truly believed they were living in the best country the world had ever seen. Eventually I learned the whole country believed that—or at least they pretended to. North Korea was filled with lies and propaganda created by the people in charge and its residents were isolated and afraid enough to go along with it.

  I looked Centipede dead in the eyes. “You’ve seen enough of the world to know you’ve been lied to.” Her eyes hardened, but only for a second. It was enough to push me forward. “And if they lied to you about that, what makes you think you haven’t been lied to about other things?”

  She shifted away from me, getting instantly defensive. Her instincts were good enough to be afraid. “What are you talking about?”

  “I know about your family,” I said. Her face contorted in confusion that quickly gave way to anger. I kept talking before she could collect her thoughts. “They’re why you fight so hard at KATO, right? They were put in a labor camp and KATO told you if you don’t perform, they’ll kill your family.”

  She leveled me with a glare that most certainly would have killed me if she had the ability. “You don’t. Know what. You’re talking about.”

  “You and I both know there’s no way they’re still alive,” I said. “Not after all this time.” She was ready to attack me, armed or not. I was pretty sure the fact that Travis was still covering me was the only thing keeping her in place. “Do you really want to work for the people who killed your family and lied about it?”

  The look on her face told me in no uncertain terms that she was absolutely livid.

  Suddenly Walter was in my ear, squawking that the clock was almost up on the cameras.

  “You’ve got to wrap this up,” Travis said, his eyes still locked on Centipede.

  I fished out the envelope and one of the satellite phones Simmonds had given me and stepped toward her. “Take these.” I pressed the items into her hand. “Open the envelope alone. You have twenty-four hours to call me and change your mind. If I don’t hear from you, we’ll pretend this never happened.” I did my best to act like she wasn’t holding the future of my operation in her hand.

  “I’m not leaving here without you,” she said, standing straighter.

  I twirled the Gerex gun in my hand as if it didn’t faze me. “I have your weapon and my partner has a bullet on you.” Travis raised his gun a tick higher. “Do you really think you can find a way to bring me in alive before he puts you down?”

  “And I’m supposed to believe that you’ll let me live?” There was a hint of panic in her voice. I doubt Travis even noticed it, but I’d spent a lot of time with Centipede. I'd learned to pick up on the slightest hint of weakness.

  “Yes,” I said. “This time, we both walk away. And if I don’t hear from you, it’ll be the only time.”

  Her face tightened as she studied me, trying to get a read on the situation. “I will never call you,” she said. Then she spun on her heel and left the garage. Her neck twitched as if it were a struggle to keep from looking back at us.

  Chapter Twelve

  STRUGGLING THROUGH

  Travis and I didn’t speak on the ride to the airstrip. I was too distracted by the gun in my lap to start a conversation. I turned it over, studying it. I was holding Gerex. It was sitting in my hands. And it was after a mission, which had always been a trigger. Once we got on the plane I could go to the bathroom and—

  No. I couldn’t do that. Not after everything.

  I lifted the gun up, feeling the weight of it. I couldn’t tell if it felt heavier or lighter than a normal gun. Maybe it was both? Was that possible?

  I followed Travis onto the plane. He yanked the door shut behind us, checked in with the pilot, then came back to me. “Why didn’t you call me when she showed up, like we talked about?” he asked.

  “You were already on your way.” My voice sounded distant and my focus was on my hands. I was still transfixed by what I was holding. Travis didn’t know there was anything special about it. I didn’t have to tell him. Even if I didn’t use it now, I could get it inside the IDA like this. “You need to take this gun from me,” I said finally, working to keep my voice from spiking.

  “What?” He eyed me uncertainly. “Why don’t you put it down on your own?”

  I took a long slow breath, summoning the courage to find the words again. “Please. I need you to take it.”

  “Jocelyn—”

  My eyes locked on him and I tightened my hold on the gun. “Travis.” I was only vaguely aware that my breathing had gotten heavier. “It’s loaded with Gerex darts and I can’t let go.”

  He visibly swallowed and after a long painful moment, he pried the gun out of my hand.

  Once he had, he disappeared toward the front of the plane. I didn’t know where he’d put it, or what he had done with the drug inside. I felt my hand start to shake, but overall, I was surprisingly steady, considering what I had just been holding. I slid into one of the benches, leaning forward to rest my head on the seat in front of me. The pressure on my forehead felt soothing somehow.

  When Travis came back, he sat down next to me. He twisted in the seat so he was facing me, his head tucked so it was level with mine. “How are you doing?”

  I stayed hunched over, gripping the edge of the bench, working to keep myself stable. “I think okay.” It was easier to battle through the craving now that I wasn’t holding the drug.

  I felt his hand on my knee and I appreciated the extra security. “There’s supposed to be an acupuncture kit on board. Do you want me to get it?” Dr. March had taught him the basics before we’d gone to North Korea.

  I shook my head. “It’s not that bad. I want to start getting through these on my own.”

  He sighed, and I was sure he disagreed, but he didn’t push the issue. “If you’re sure.” He shifted away from me, and I knew he was going to leave—to give me space.

  My hand darted out and grabbed his the second he stood. Because I didn’t want space. His presence helped more than I could describe, and in a way I didn’t fully understand. I kept my head down and focused on breathing. I didn’t want to see his expression. He sat back down without a word, an inch closer than he had been before. He knew exactly what I needed.

  • • •

  “How are you feeling?” Travis asked when we landed.

  I took a slow deep breath, assessing myself. “Better.”

  He gave me a once-over, his face full of doubt. “You still don’t look
that great.” I bit my lip, but I didn’t disagree. I wasn’t shaking, but my insides were a twisted mess. “Go to Dr. March,” he said. “I’ll meet you in Simmonds’s office.” He gave me a pointed look and I knew this wasn’t an argument I was going to win.

  While I settled in for my treatment, I asked Dr. March for an update on Eliza.

  She looked dismayed. “She’s been acting out a great deal since you spoke with her, so we’ve had to keep her sedated more frequently lately.”

  “Acting out how?”

  “She’s been very resistant to her behavior specialists,” Dr. March said. “She even went as far as punching one of them. She also tried to pull her hair out, which a specialist believes was to avoid a conversation.”

  “Do you think she wants to be sedated?” I asked, sitting up slightly.

  She shrugged. “That’s one theory, but we don’t know enough to say anything for sure right now.” I opened my mouth to say more, but she put a hand on my shoulder to quiet me. “Let me worry about her, okay? You have more than enough on your plate.”

  She slid the first needle into my ear and I took a deep breath, doing my best to relax.

  I headed to Simmonds’s office when I was finished in the medical wing. Travis and my father were the only people there when I arrived. They stopped talking when I entered and I was afraid to even ask what they were discussing.

  I took a seat next to Travis and glanced up at my father, who was again standing against the wall. “I didn’t see you before we left.”

  “Yeah.” He rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. “Roy and I didn’t see eye to eye on a couple things.”

  “About our assignment?”

  My dad shook his head. “No, I didn’t even know about that until after you were gone.” There was a bite to his voice that suggested this was another point of tension. “But it sounded like you guys did great.”

  Simmonds arrived before we could discuss the situation further. “Good,” he said, “you’re all here.” He spared my father half a glance as he took his seat. “Let’s get right to it.” He was gruffer than usual. I guessed this was somehow related to whatever had kept my dad away before our mission. Travis and I both seemed to sense that the quicker we moved through this, the better.